The newest co-op adventure from Josef Fares’s Hazelight Studios,Split Fiction, has been a critical darling. In ourreview, we said, “Split Fiction is a technical marvel that pushes the boundaries of design without ever sacrificing the notion that video games are fun and should be experienced alongside our friends and loved ones.” It’s been a runaway success with critics, with 98% of critics recommending the game onOpenCritic.
Split Fiction Manages To Do What Battlefield Couldn’t For EA With Concurrent Players On Steam
Split Fiction has made history for publisher Electronic Arts when it comes to premium games.
That critical success is translating into commercial success, as thestudio announcedthat the game has sold over one million copies 48 hours after its release. The title also achieved the title of EA’shighest concurrent player count on Steamfor any paid game ever. That’s an impressive feat for a studio that, believe it or not, has had a rich history with successful multiplayer titles.
For what it’s worth, the current overall leader for EA isApex Legends, which is free to play.
Hazelight Studios Is Establishing Themselves As One Of The Best In The Industry
Split Fiction is the latest in a string of successes from Hazelight Studios. It follows up It Takes Two, which won Game of the Year at the 2021 Game Awards and has sold over 20 million units as of October 2024.
The studio has brought cooperative gameplay back to the forefront of gaming, and honestly, we’re better for it.
8 Best Co-Op Sandbox Games
Building something pretty next to your friend’s dirt hut has never been easier than with these games.
One of the smartest things they did with Split Fiction was the introduction of theFriend’s Pass. This allows players to play with friends or loved ones without requiring both people to own a copy of the game. This has allowed more people to play through the co-op experience. An inhibiting factor in the past has been how you need to buy two copies to play one game.
Now, thanks to Friend’s Pass, others can play the game as long as one person owns it.
With just one million copies sold in 48 hours, the sky’s the limit for Split Fiction. I’m curious to see not just how many copies the game will sell later this year but also how many awards it will win at the end of the year.
Split Fiction
WHERE TO PLAY
